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Board Games and TCGs, Series Reviews

Baranger’s Illustration of Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror is Amazing!

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I was sent a copy of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror illustrated by Baranger to cover on my blog. I am very grateful for the opportunity, but these will be my honest impressions. If you enjoy my content, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends! You can also always buy me coffee.

Impressions of the Book

Our friends at Free League Publishing have a series of Lovecraft books they’ve been releasing works of Lovecraft illustrated by Baranger, and if you’re a fan of Lovecraftian horror, you need to get yourself some copies. As of writing this, you can pick up The Call of Cthulhu, The Dunwich Horror, and At the Mountains of Madness Vol 1 & Vol 2 for $33.87 each. You can pick up both volules of At the Mountains of Madness for $52.53. If the quality and detail of my copy of The Dunwich Horror is anything to go by, you can’t go wrong with any of these books.

The book turns Lovecraft’s classics into a unique storybook that you’ll need to hold to appreciate. This is a massive book, it does not fit on your traditional shelf. It was designed to fit the story without compromising Baranger’s illustrations, and it works. The illustrations are beautiful and full of rich detail and imagination. I love the style and attention to detail. The way the scenes he chooses to illustrate and the way they interact with the narrative give this classic new life. I love seeing how art inspires art, and this book is a wonderful example of that.

The quality of the book is exceptional. The binding is great, and the work is printed on high-quality paper. I felt guilty flipping through the pages, even though the book is going to outlive me.

If you’re a fan of Lovecraft, the Baranger-illustrated versions are a wonderful addition to your collection. I recommend you get them all, but The Dunwich Horror is a good place to start. 

Impressions of the Story

I love H.P. Lovecraft’s clinical and calculated voice. The way he crafts his images describes the sleepy town and contrasts it against the peculiarity of this family creating this decaying image of society. You have this sleepy town of Dunwich that exists isolated outside of industrialized America. Despite the town existing in the middle of all this natural beauty, the isolation sets up the horror. Readers get the sense that whatever happens in Dunwich is inescapable because of how removed it is from the rest of the world. 

What’s more terrifying are these ancient evils that exist around mankind. All the institutions, science, and discoveries that have come into existence throughout are meaningless against the might of a single failed ritual. They are meaningless against the might of this other terrifying world. Ultimately, it’s these ancient magics that somehow have seeped into the world that save humanity for the time being, but the danger still exists, and next time it might be successful. 

I love how Lovecraft is able to create all this magic, world, and lore in such a small amount of space. The way he uses language, existing works of literature, and even dialect helps create such an authentic experience that the terror comes from the tale’s possibility. 

Mostly, I enjoyed the tragedy of The Dunwich Horror. You have a man who spends his whole life trying to complete this ritual, but he dies before he can see it through. You get a mother who only wants to love her child, but her child hates her and becomes a monster. You have Wilbur who spends his entire existence being hated. Whose only reason to live is to complete this ritual, but he’s never strong enough. Finally, you have the horror who spends his existence alone and in agony, spending his final moments calling for a father who is never there for it.

I liked the book, and am glad I got to read it. While the Baranger Illustrated copy is a fantastic way to enjoy this book, a copy from your local library is just as good. And for those who don’t have the time, the Audiobook on YouTube is fantastic and free!

Board Games and TCGs, video game reviews

Dragonbane on Foundry VTT is Amazing!

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We’ve had our third session of Dragonbane, and have been enjoying every minute. It was a rough start as we learned and adjusted to the new rules, but things are running more smoothly. 

What has made the transition easier has been playing on Foundry VTT using the official module. You don’t need the module to play Dragonbane. All you need is the quick start guide and some dice. You don’t even need the official module if you’re using Foundry, but it makes things so easy that you’re doing yourself a disservice by not using it. 

I’ve written about why you should use Foundry VTT as your virtual tabletop, so make sure you read that post if you haven’t done so already. Foundry VTT is easy to use, it has tremendous community and dev support, and it has a lot of the features you want from a VTT for only $50. There is also a demo you can try if you need more convincing. 

The Dragonbane module costs $27.22 with everything you need to play the game. You get:

  • 144 Actors.
  • 28 Journal Entries.
  • 370 Items.
  • 164 Rolltables.
  • 20 Scenes.
  • 5 Macros.
  • 6 Card Stacks.

Starting a game has never been so simple. The module splits up everything you need into easy-to-search journal entries and chapters. You can choose to play one of the ready-to-play pre-generated characters. But if you want to make your own, the module walks you through the simple process of character creation where you can roll your stats, and drag and drop everything you need. 

Running the prewritten adventure is even easier because you have everything you need at your fingertips. It splits up the adventure into manageable sections with quick links to help you navigate decisions. You have tables to roll from, monster stats you can easily drag onto maps, and you can roll for the monster abilities. Maps come with all the lighting effects, walls, doors, and hidden areas which is sure to impress your table. I’ve never had an easier time prepping running a game. Now this will change if you want to run your own adventure, but if you want to start with the prewritten content, the module is a boon!

The only issue I’ve been having is getting used to the system. While the system is easy to learn, my table is full of busy dads who somehow manage to make time for our weekly games. It’s been fun, and getting better as we grow more comfortable with the system.

If you’re playing Dragonbane, or thinking about running your first game online, I recommend you get this module. You’ll get more than your money’s worth, especially if it ends up being your tables main RPG.

If you’ve been enjoying my content, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

video game reviews

Headbangers Rhythm Royal already needs a discount

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I was sent Headbangers Rhythm Royal for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

Headbangers Rhythm Royal is a quirky rhythm game out on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and Steam. Play as stylish pigeons just groovin’ and trying to have a good time. Compete against people around the world in a series of rhythm-based party games. Do you have what it takes to be the grooviest pigeon in town?

There is no denying that Headbangers Rhythm Royal is a cute game. It has a fun art style, cute characters, and a solid soundtrack. When you get past the charm, you are left with a game that isn’t worth $20.  

Headbangers Rhythm Royal promises this massive party game experience that pits 30 people against each other in quirky and fun mini-games. The game fills the game with bots if not enough humans queue up. Most of the games you play will be full of bots, except for the few humans grinding for accessories. A lobby full of humans wouldn’t have made this game any more fun, but it would make the stakes real. Most of the time you’ll make it to the top 5 unless you’re unlucky and get a room with six or more people. This game isn’t dead, but it desperately needs more people.

Games are split into four randomly selected mini-games. Half of the round’s population is eliminated based on performance. Once you get into a game, you might get trapped in a minigame you hate. Not all of the games are fun, but that is to be expected from the genre. I wish there were a way to vote for a game, but the amount of bots would complicate this system. Nothing is worse than being stuck in a boring mini-game, waiting for it to be over, only to be trapped in something worse. There are a few delightful and fun games, but not enough for $20. 

Headbangers Rhythm Royal is a cute party game that you’ll play until the novelty wears off. It’s not bad, but it isn’t worth $20 either. You can pick it up on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and Steam, but I’d wait for it to go on sale.

Board Games and TCGs, Pokemon TCG

Top 5 decks in the Pokemon TCG since Stuttgart Regionals

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The Stuttgart Regionals were this weekend and provided a good look into how Paradox Rift is shaping the meta. I’ve been having a lot of fun with some of the new decks, and am very excited about the direction in which the meta is going. I’ll be going over the top five decks from the tournament, and leave links to the singles for those who want them.  

If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. If you want to buy any Pokemon TCG product, like Paradox Rift or the upcoming Paldean Fates, get it over at TCG Player using my affiliate links. 

1. Lost Zard

Lost Box continues to be a strong contender, and I can see why. I have a lot of fun running the variants, and its general consistency makes it a solid choice for any occasion. Congratulations to Christian Fontenot for winning it all with his Radiant Charizard variant.

Pokémon (12)
4 Comfey LOR 79
2 Sableye LOR 70
2 Cramorant LOR 50
1 Radiant Charizard CRZ 20
1 Manaphy BRS 41
1 Jirachi PAR 126
1 Spiritomb PAL 89

Trainer (42)
4 Colress’s Experiment LOR 155
2 Raihan CRZ 140
2 Klara CRE 145
1 Roxanne ASR 150
4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
4 Switch Cart ASR 154
4 Escape Rope BST 125
3 Nest Ball SVI 181
2 Fog Crystal CRE 140
2 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
2 Super Rod PAL 188
2 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135
2 Counter Catcher PAR 160
1 Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146
1 Mirage Gate LOR 163
1 Pal Pad SVI 182
2 Technical Machine: Devolution PAR 177
2 Beach Court SVI 167
1 Artazon PAL 171

Energy (6)
3 Psychic Energy 5
2 Fire Energy 2
1 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151

2. Miraidon ex

I’ve been using a variation of Maraidon ex on the ladder and have been enjoying it. The deck is quick, easy to learn, and forgiving of mistakes. If you are looking for an archetype to get you started in the competitive scene, this is a great place to start. Congratulations to Simon Tschan for taking it to 2nd!

Pokémon (15)
3 Miraidon ex SVI 81
2 Mareep EVS 54
2 Flaaffy EVS 55
2 Raikou V BRS 48
2 Iron Hands ex PAR 70
1 Raichu V BRS 45
1 Mew ex MEW 151
1 Squawkabilly ex PAL 169
1 Zapdos PGO 29

Trainer (31)
4 Professor’s Research SVI 189
3 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
2 Iono PAL 185
2 Judge SVI 176
4 Electric Generator SVI 170
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
1 Nest Ball SVI 181
1 Switch SVI 194
1 Escape Rope BST 125
1 Switch Cart ASR 154
1 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135
2 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156
2 Bravery Charm PAL 173
2 Path to the Peak CRE 148
1 Beach Court SVI 167

Energy (14)
13 Lightning Energy 4
1 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151

3. LostTina

Not much more to say, Lost Box variants are consistent, and LostTina keeps showing up on top even with Jirachi in the format. Congratulations to Alberto Conti for third place!

Pokémon (14)
4 Comfey LOR 79
3 Giratina V LOR 130
3 Giratina VSTAR LOR 131
2 Sableye LOR 70
1 Cramorant LOR 50
1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46

Trainer (33)
4 Colress’s Experiment LOR 155
2 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
2 Roxanne ASR 150
2 Iono PAL 185
4 Mirage Gate LOR 163
4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
4 Nest Ball SVI 181
4 Switch Cart ASR 154
2 Super Rod PAL 188
1 Counter Catcher PAR 160
4 Path to the Peak CRE 148

Energy (13)
4 Jet Energy PAL 190
4 Psychic Energy 5
3 Grass Energy 1
2 Water Energy 3

4. Lost Moon

Lost Box got a bit of flavor with Roaring Moon. I’ve been meaning to get around to using Roaring Moon, and this might be the way I do it. I am curious to see how Roaring Moon’s role in the format shifts with the meta. Congratulations to Kristian Hodas for making the top four!

Pokémon (12)
4 Comfey LOR 79
1 Cramorant LOR 50
1 Roaring Moon ex PAR 124
1 Iron Hands ex PAR 70
1 Galarian Moltres V CRE 97
1 Raikou V BRS 48
1 Tropius EVS 6
1 Minior PAR 99
1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46

Trainer (38)
4 Colress’s Experiment LOR 155
1 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
1 Raihan CRZ 140
1 Zinnia’s Resolve EVS 164
4 Mirage Gate LOR 163
4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
4 Nest Ball SVI 181
4 Switch Cart ASR 154
3 Escape Rope BST 125
3 Super Rod PAL 188
2 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135
1 Counter Catcher PAR 160
1 Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146
2 Supereffective Glasses ASR 152
1 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156
2 Town Store OBF 196

Energy (10)
5 Darkness Energy 7
2 Lightning Energy 4
2 Grass Energy 1
1 Gift Energy LOR 171

5. Double Turbo Mew

Last but not least we have Double Turbo Mew. I love this archetype because it was the first competitive deck I ever put together. It is so much fun to play. There are a few counters in the format, but a good pilot can always overcome all the counters in the format. I played a different flavor of this deck, but it remains a spicy contender in the meta. Congratulations to Ethan Wilde for making the top five!

Pokémon (12)
4 Mew V CRZ 60
3 Mew VMAX FST 114
4 Genesect V FST 185
1 Luxray V ASR 50

Trainer (44)
3 Judge SVI 176
2 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
1 Iono PAL 185
4 Power Tablet FST 236
4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
4 Cram-o-matic FST 229
3 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135
3 Grabber MEW 162
2 Escape Rope BST 125
1 Switch SVI 194
1 Feather Ball ASR 141
1 Nest Ball SVI 181
1 Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146
1 Pal Pad SVI 182
3 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156
2 Box of Disaster LOR 154
1 Choice Belt PAL 176
3 Path to the Peak CRE 148

Energy (4)
4 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151

video game reviews

Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader is as fantastic as I expected

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I received Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader for free to review for my site. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews or the rest of my content, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

Rogue Trader is the cRPG you should be playing right now. As the newly appointed Rogue Trader for the Imperium, you must brave the uncharted reaches of space, face its terrifying dangers, and make that money in the process. Face off against heretics, fight off bloodthirsty Xenos, and make the choices that will determine your future. Do you have what it takes to survive the grim-dark horrors of the 40k universe?

Owlcat Games has done it again by creating another game you want in your collection. If you enjoy Tabletop Roleplaying games but need that fix off the table, you can’t go wrong with any of the Owlcat Game titles. I love their Pathfinder games, but Rogue Trader has easily become one of my favorites. I love the flavor of the 40K universe, and I prefer the combat system in Rogue Trader. 

Rogue Trader is an amazing-looking game. Warhammer fans will appreciate the amount of effort put into creating such an authentic experience. New fans will be left wanting more. The story is a nice dive into a fantastic universe, and I struggled to pull myself away. Everything from the dialogue, the music, and the gore all worked together to create an atmosphere you’d expect from a game set in the 40k universe. 

The gameplay is where Rogue Trader earns its love and reputation. I love playing TTRPGs, and this game provides the perfect substitute outside my weekly sessions. I love that there are failable skill checks and social interactions. I even love that my attacks can fail. The randomness of the dice rolls makes everything more exciting. Most of all, I enjoyed that I could roleplay my character how I wanted. Want to take charge and treat everyone like the lowly scum they are? Want to be an overzealous devoted follower of the Emperor? The choice is in your hands and the choices you make matter. With the amount of customization and choices available, this game has a good amount of replay value.

The combat is my favorite part of this game. I don’t normally like strategy games, but Rogue Trader does it right. I played on normal difficulty and found it perfect for my skill level, but you can get as hard-core as you want. The mechanics are easy to learn, and combat is engaging enough without becoming complicated. But mostly, I enjoyed watching enemies explode.

My only complaint about the game is that some objectives are hard to see. To avoid this, press the tab to highlight all clickable items on the map. This was never a deal breaker, but it is a cruel reminder that I am getting old. 

I loved everything about Warhammer 40000: Rogue Trader. If you are looking for a new game, check out Rogue Trader. You don’t need to be a Warhammer fan to enjoy this game. The story is pretty straightforward, and the game translates any words you might not know in an easy and convenient format. The only downside is that you’ll want to know more about the universe, but there are a lot of great videos on YouTube to help fill the gaps. Keep in mind that there is a bit of reading and random chance involved if that matters to you. Otherwise, Rogue Trader is a fantastic 40k RPG. You can pick up your copy for $49.99 on Xbox, PlayStation and PC via Steam, GoG, and Epic Games.

Chapter 3

Digimon Seekers Chapter 3-12: Raiding the Gateway

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I know this is late, but work has been crazy. Make sure you always support the original. If you enjoy this project, please leave me a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. Thank you for reading!

Satsuki’s call sounded serious. Yulin rushes out of the Ryusenji’s lab and makes her way back to the station. The station is a plain glass building with the department’s logo displayed on one side. The words Denrin Police Station are printed clearly over the entrance. There is an eerie calmness that hangs over the station as her boot heels echo off the concrete steps.

Once through the glass doors, Yulin is greeted by the cacophony of chaos that fills the building. Alarms blare around her as she pushes her way through the hurried officers. They stop to greet her respectfully before returning to their panic.

Satsuki hurries to meet her in the middle of it all. She dresses in her casually altered uniform and smiles as she joins the captain’s hurried steps. “Nice of you to join us Captain,” she says playfully.

“What’s going on?” Yulin asks as they enter her office. Only a few cabinets and a big wooden desk fill the office. On her desk, there are a few neat stacks of paperwork and a computer that waits idly. She makes her way to her seat as the door closes behind them. The sounds of the chaos outside become muffled behind the small fogged glass that decorates the door.

“We’re picking up a large-scale Code Cracker activity in the Wall Slums.” Satsuki stands attentively in front of the captain’s desk. She holds onto a tablet.

“How large? “

“Maybe 200 or so.”

“Have they made contact? What do they want? Who’s leading them?”

“I’ll give you a guess,” Satsuki says as she hands her the tablet. Yulin plays the video that had been sitting idle on the screen. The words “Sons of Chaos” appear briefly as the video cuts to a chorus singing.

“I should have known…Fucking Tartarus…” Yulin grumbles. She watches as hundreds of Digimon storm through the slums. One figure catches her eye. “Dorumon?” Yulin gasps.

“We’re headed to the depths!” Tartarus’ voice carries through the madness.

“Dammit Kosuke…” Her voice trails off as she becomes lost in the video. Yulin jolts up suddenly as she is hit with a sudden realization. “They’re going for the Gateway!”

Satsuki nods her head. “It’s a mad dash to the center of the slums. Most of them are bots running simple commands, but there are a few high ranking crackers in the mix to make things…interesteing.”

Yulin slams her fist on her desk and shouts “Dumbass!”

The sudden outburst shakes Satsuki. “I’m sorr..,”

Yulin raises her hand to cut her off. “Not you. Its these dumbass Code Crackers! They’re messing with things they don’t understand.” Yulin becomes visibly frustrated. “Do we have a recon team on the ground?”

“Of course! “I’ll bring them up now.” Satsuki taps a few commands on the tablet. A virtual monitor appears behind her and begins playing footage of the wall slums. “Seasldramon, this is HQ, what’s your status?”

“Copy that. This is Seals leader. It’s a warzone out here. The Code Crackers are clashing with the Gatekeepers.”

“Can you confirm this is a SoC attack?”

“No confirmed SoC units present, but it seems that Slum Digimon are also on the move.”

“What?” Yulin takes a closer look at the footage. She can make out groups of Digimon that Code Crackers hardly use rushing the Gateway.

Yulin raises her Digimon Linker and taps on the screen. “You seeing this Ryudamon?”

Ryudamon’s hologram suddenly appears in the space next to Yulin. “Indeed,” it responds as it watches the video.

“Are they being coerced?” Yulin asks.

“Not all of them. Some of them are helping the humans out of their own accord. Some of those Digimon just want to go home to the other side. There are also Digimon that respect Dorumon and see it as their leader. It wouldn’t be hard for them to rally the slums for their cause.”

Yulin’s eyes widen as she listens to the explanation. “Dammit!” she grumbles as she switches to the emergency channel.

“We have reason to believe that the Sons of Chaos are inciting this attack on the Gateway under the orders of their leader, Tartarus. They are planning to crack the Gateway and gain access to the depths. This will cause irreparable damage to the Digital World should they succeed. We must do everything in our power to stop this attack and bring them to justice. All officers, prepare for immediate dispatch. Equipment type D!”

“Ooo, the new stuff!” A mischievous grin creeps up Sastuki’s face.

“All A Rank units and above, mindlink prior to departure. All Cargodramon, even those in maintaince are to be deployed.” Yulin turns to a giddy-looking Satsuki. “That includes you Satsuki.”

Satsuki stands tall and salutes. “Copy that!” she replies as she hurries out of the office to her desk.

“If anyone sees Tararus out there, contact me immediately. Do not engage!” Yulin sits back at her desk. “You can’t win Kosuke,” she mutters to herself as she engages her Mindlink.

The mountain of debris and junk data that looms over the center of the Wall Slum had become a warzone. Hordes of cyborg-type Digimon flood towards the center, fighting off the swarms of Gatekeepers. The air fills with smoke and explosions. Laughter and playful banter escape from amongst the chaos. To most of the Code Crackers in the Frey, this was just a game.

Hight above the battlefield, in the skeleton of an old rotting building, Marvin watches with a grin. “Magnificent,” he as the glow of explosions lit up the sky.

Dorumon walks up next to Marvin. “Wall Slum mobilization is higher than anticipated.”

“It’s all thanks to Loogamon,” Tartarus replies as he admires the scenes below.

“Can you hear me Eiji? Loogamon?”

“Tartarus?”

“You did good kid. Where are you now?”

“Were still on the subway.”

“We’re almost at the last stop. We’ll take off running from there,” Loogamon adds.

“Move quickly. We have to keep this momentum for this to work.”

“Understood.” Eiji replies.

“Just so you know, the 9th District Digimon will quit when they feel like it.” Loogamon warns.

“That’s fair. We can’t control them all, but there should be enough to get the job done,” Tartarus replies.

“It’s getting hard to hear..chat.”

“Leave your admin channel open. I’ll be in touch,” Koske commands as he ends the call.

“Sir! We have a problem!” A panicked voice reaches through the radio.

“What is it?”

“The DigiPolice!” the voice shouts. A squad of Cargodramon suddenly appear over the concrete horizon of the Wall Slum. “They’re here!”

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

“It’s about time,” Kosuke says as he watches the incoming Cargodramon. He pets Dorumon on its head. “Thank you for everything.”

“Hm?” Dorumon asks, his eyes glued to the battlefield.

“This is it Dorumon. Are you ready?”

Dorumon nods and points at the Cargodramon. “They’re looking for something.”

Kosuke smiles. “Yeah. Us. Let’s go say hi.”

I’ll see you soon Saya. 

Board Games and TCGs, video game reviews

Age of Wonders: Planetfall the Board Game is so much fun

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I was sent Age of Wonders: Planetfall for free to review for my site. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall is the best way to get into the resource management genre. The game has cool art, fantastic flavor, and it is easy to pick up. Explore the remains of the Star Unions as you seek dominance over the other factions. Challenge your friends in what will be a memorable game of exploration and conquest.

Players choose from one of the six factions and begin their journey through the different planets. Each planet has new adventures and challenges, but what you gain from them will determine your place in the universe. The game is pretty easy to learn. I recommend you check out the tutorial by Rahdo on YouTube to get started.

How to Play

The Sample Size

I am the only person in my family who plays board games, but I have been slowly convincing people to play with me. My wife doesn’t like anything more complicated than Uno and refused to play Planetfall when she saw all the pieces laid out. My sister is a bit more tolerant. She agreed to play but wasn’t as enthusiastic as me and her boyfriend, even though she ended up winning. Her boyfriend is always ready to play board games. 

The Game

This box is going to look great on any shelf. Fans of the video game will appreciate the art a lot more. I don’t usually keep my boxes because I don’t have space for them, but I’m willing to make an exception. The board and design are cool and easy to read. The cards and their flavor are fantastic. Even if you haven’t played the video game, you’ll appreciate how cool the art is. The pips are wood, which I prefer to plastic.

Impressions

Age of Wonders: Planetfall is a fantastic introduction to the resource management genre. It has enough moving parts to keep things interesting without becoming overwhelming. The setup was fast and easy, and we started almost instantly. I like to explain the rules as we play, but it didn’t take long for everyone to get settled and work towards strategies. 

One of the biggest mistakes I made during my session was ignoring the flavor. It wasn’t until I explained to the table that we were landing on planets and taking over different objectives that they started to get into it. I was amazed at how quickly the conversation turned from being focused on the points to being focused on fighting a certain unit or discovering this landmark because that’s what their commander would do. 

My sister ended up winning, and we were left wanting a rematch. She says she wasn’t trying, but I think deep down she knew what she was doing. We loved the game for its change of pace, ease of play, and flavor. It is going to be a hard sell for people who don’t like board games, but everyone, it makes for a nice change of pace from Monopoly. For my table, Age of Wonders: Planetfall is as complicated as we’ll get, and I don’t mind it. The gameplay offers enough room for strategy, but with options to keep it casual to fit our current level of experience. I’ll continue working on bringing more complicated games to our sessions. 

If you looking for a new sci-fi game, resource management game, or simply love the video game, I recommend you go pick up Age of Wonders: Planetfall. You can pick up your copy from the official Arcane Wonders store for $44.99, or cheaper at Miniature Market ($31.99)

Board Games and TCGs, video game reviews

GAP: A Simple and Quick Card Game Staple for Game Night

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I was sent the board game GAP for free to review. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

GAP is a quick 2-6 player card game that is easy to learn and teach from our friends over at Arcane Wonders. The goal is to be the first person to get 15/30/70 points by matching the colors on the card. The point goal depends on how of a game you want to play.

The best way to learn the game is through the tutorial video on the official Arcane Wonders’ Youtube.

How To Play

In summary, you have a deck of four colored cards. The goal is to collect the most of a single color. You collect cards based on the numbers on the card you put down. For example if I put down a yellow 9:

You would only pick up the numbers written on the corner, with the biggest taking priority. In this case, you would pick up all the 9s from the middle. If none of these numbers are in the middle, the 9 is added to the pile, and nothing gets added to yours. You repeat this until everyone runs out of cards and tally the scores.

The Game

The game comes in a palm-sized compact box with one multi-color deck. The colors are easily distinguishable, and the shine looks beautiful. The cards do feel a little flimsy and are a little hard to shuffle. While they look nice on the table, I am not confident in their longevity, especially if you play with kids. I recommend using card sleeves.

Sample Size

I am the only one in my family that likes board games. My family agreed to help me with my review but were reluctant. My wife doesn’t like board games, and she’ll check out if it starts to get more complicated than Uno. My sister is a little more accepting, but she also has her limits. Her boyfriend is always down to play anything. 

Impressions

What I loved most about this game is how easy it is to get started. The rules are easy to teach, and the game is easy to understand once you get started. Halfway through our first game, everyone at the table was working on a strategy. By the second game, everyone knew what they were working towards. As simple as this game is, the randomness makes it engaging. My sister had a round where she was consistently working on a stack of blues when one turn forced her to pick up other colors.

Games of GAP only go for about ten minutes, depending on the type of game to play. Ten minutes is perfect, especially if you have people at your table who don’t like board games. Longer games at my table aren’t really an option, so I found this a blessing.

I loved it, and I am happy my family loved it too. If you’re looking for a game to play with your non-gamer buddies, GAP is a fantastic choice. It takes seconds to learn, and it’s fun enough to keep people engaged. GAP goes for $14.99. You can pick GAP up at the official Arcane Wonders’ store or online retailers like Knoble Knight Games.

video game reviews

Extremely Powerful Capybaras: At least it’s cute

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I was sent Extremely Powerful Capybaras for free as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please comment, like, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

Extremely Powerful Capybaras is a cute bullet hell roguelike available now on Steam. Players can team up with friends or brave it alone as they defend their village from endless hordes of monsters. Do you have what it takes to become the most powerful capybara on the island?

Players choose from four classes of capybara before queuing up to survive against the horde. Each capybara has a unique weapon to start with. As players level through combat, they unlock access to other weapons and upgrades. The weapons and upgrades are RNG-reliant, but the RNG is fair. The classes did feel unbalanced, but later upgrades helped mitigate that a bit. 

Unfortunately, Extremely Powerful Capybaras aren’t fun. The game runs great and looks adorable, but the gameplay feels slow, even in the crazier stages. I appreciate how much work went into the flavor and creativity of the weapons and upgrades, but they were often more work than they were worth. Maybe the game is better in multiplayer, but even then, there are better party games.

Extremely Powerful Capybaras is cute with some terrific flavor, but it isn’t fun enough to recommend. If you are looking for a bullet hell roguelike, Brotato does it better for cheaper. Otherwise, you can pick up Extremely Powerful Capybaras on Steam for $5.99.

video game reviews

Realm Protector VR: A Unique take on the Tower Defense Genre

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I was sent Realm Protector for free as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

Realm Protector is a creative tower defense game for the Meta Quest 2 and above. As a Realm Protector, players build towers to stop hoards of monsters from getting through the portal and wreaking havoc on humanity. Where other games in the genre let you sit back and watch, Realm Protector places players in the towers. Do you have what it takes to keep the realm safe from evil?

Realm Protector’s gimmick is that players can control the towers in a first-person mini-game after building them. While unmanned towers do auto attack, towers controlled by players do more damage. Each tower has a unique quirk for combat. The Ice Tower has a drum mini-game to cast ice spells, which might be a reference to Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Arcane lets players blast away monsters with a minigun, the Flame lets players explode them with fireballs, and the Electric tower lets you shock them with chain lightning gloves. The key to this game is to plan accordingly and switch between towers efficiently. 

I like that each level lets you see the monster’s stats to give players a chance to plan their tower placement. I love that selling towers doesn’t ruin you financially. There is enough strategy involved in this game to keep players engaged, but its interactive mechanics are what sets Realm Protector apart from other games in the genre. That said, the game still feels like a tower defense, and unless you enjoy the genre, it’s going to be a hard sell. You’ll enjoy it for what it is, but whether or not you play it for the long term depends on how much you enjoy the genre. 

I like the game, but I enjoy the genre. I find the repetition soothing, but enjoy the change of pace the game brings to the genre. The art is on the cartoony side, but it shouldn’t matter when it runs fine. I never had issues switching between towers, changing upgrades, or doing combat. The strategy involved is a lot more intense than the art and flavor imply, but manageable even for the most casual of gamers. 

Realm Protector is fine for what is, and for $7, you can’t go wrong. It’s a little short, but again, $7. You can pick up Realm Protector on the official Meta Quest store.